The
council that advises and assists the
President on
foreign policy and
national security issues, and coordinates these policies across
government agencies. Created by
Congress with the National Security Act of
1947.
It membership includes, in addition to the President: the Vice President, Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Director of the CIA. The Secretary of the Treasury, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, and the President's Chief of Staff are invited to all meetings of the Council.
Source: www.whitehouse.gov